


The 'Process'

by pleasereadmeok



Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: F/M, Foreplay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-15
Updated: 2015-10-15
Packaged: 2018-04-26 13:16:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5006185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pleasereadmeok/pseuds/pleasereadmeok
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Would you like to come in for a brandy – or something?”  Mary gestured towards Rosamund’s house.<br/>Henry laughed as he recognised the mocking tone of the ‘or something’.<br/>“Well I suppose I should … if I’m ever going to get this ‘pass’ over with.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	The 'Process'

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by a post on tumblr from bathshebaeverdenes:  
>  _‘It does occur to me that we haven’t seen either the pass, the process or the refusal…’_
> 
> Yeah that occurred to me as well – so I wrote this. I don’t have time to add more at this stage but I may come back to it. It’s just foreplay really. ; )

_“I hope this means that you are boiling up to make a pass before we’re done?”_  
_“Probably. But will you accept?”_  
_“No. But I shall enjoy the process enormously.”_

 

Mary’s shoes were slipping on the cobbles of the London street as they left the Club and Henry offered his arm to steady her.  
“Would you like to go on somewhere else?”  
“Why don’t we walk for a while?” She suggested.  
They heard music coming from Trafalgar Square – a single violin. They watched a jolly band of revellers dancing around the statues to the music with champagne bottles in their hands.  
“That looks like fun. Would you like to dance?” He held out his hand in invitation.  
“I’d love to.” Mary laughed as they twirled around the square until they were dizzy. “Oh lord – I have to stop! Are you trying to wear me out so I fall into your arms!”

When they stopped Henry noticed Mary shiver. “You’re cold – come here.”  
Instead of gallantly offering her his overcoat, he simply opened it up and tucked her inside so their bodies were pressed together. His hands rubbed over her back - to warm her or just to feel her body? Mary wasn’t entirely sure.  
“Don’t take advantage of the situation!” She warned.  
“I wouldn’t.”  
“You would. That was a lovely dinner – don’t spoil it now by getting fresh with me.”  
Henry pretended to look hurt. “You seem to have the wrong idea about me.”  
“On the contrary, I think my idea of you is exactly right.” She replied sharply.  
He smiled and raised his eyebrows. “Probably.” 

“It was nice to be alone with you for once, to get to know you.”  
“And did you like what you found out?” Mary was fishing for a compliment.  
“Mmm. I’m not sure yet.” Henry teased. “And what did you think of me?”  
“I’m not sure yet either – but I’m enjoying the process of finding out.”  
“Enormously?”  
“Maybe a little.” She giggled in reply.

“Come on – it’s cold. I’ll take you home to your Aunt’s.”  
“Oh well done! I was half expecting that you’d booked a sordid hotel room for us somewhere.”  
“Well unfortunately you said you’d refuse – so you’ll never know.”

 

“Would you like to come in for a brandy – or something?” Mary gestured towards Rosamund’s house.  
Henry laughed as he recognised the mocking tone of the ‘or something’.  
“Well I suppose I should … if I’m ever going to get this ‘pass’ over with.”

Mary was struggling to deal with the glasses and the decanter. Her satin gloves were making everything slip out of her hands.  
“Damn it.”  
“Here, let me help you.” Henry slowly peeled off one of her gloves, brushing his fingers over her arm as he rolled the satin down. Mary’s eyes followed his fingers as he caressed her arm and removed her other glove - she had no doubt that he wanted to do the same to the rest of her body.  
“Am I supposed to be impressed by that?”

Henry didn’t answer, instead he held Mary’s hand and his finger stroked the inside of her wrist so gently it was infuriatingly arousing. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed each fingertip before settling to softly lick the tip of her index finger. All the while his eyes held hers. He was getting the upper hand. The feel of his tongue on her finger-tip was driving her mad – it was clear that he was teasing her, hinting at what else he could do with his tongue.  
“Two can play at that game!” She laughed and grabbed his hand, sucking one of his fingers deeply into her mouth. His eyes never left hers until he weakened, gulped and looked down to watch her suck.  
“You win. I’ve decided I do like you after all!” He laughed. “Now, about that pass… Are you going to invite me to your room - to your bed?”  
She abruptly let Henry’s hand go. He frowned. 

Mary waivered. She couldn’t. Surely she couldn’t. But then his fingers and tongue were so … promising.  
“No.”  
“No?” Henry groaned but he wasn’t used to rejection so he persisted. “Well in that case I’ll just have to see how far I can get down here.”

In a second they were kissing, although it was more like a battle for supremacy - a duel of lips and tongues that left them both breathless. Henry’s hand slid up under her dress and inside her thighs. Before Mary knew what was happening, a finger was inside her and then withdrawn to circle her clit. Mary was losing control of the situation – she was losing control of herself.

“Someone might come in.” Mary choked out.  
“Then I’ll just stop.” Henry’s hand dropped and he turned away, nonchalantly studying the books on the shelves. Mary was left panting and desperate for him to continue, but she simply could not let him have the satisfaction of knowing that fact.  
“You really are a horrid, arrogant man!”  
He turned back, with a smug grin on his lips as he saw her distress.  
“I may be horrid and arrogant but you still want me to finish what I started. Would you like me to …”  
“YES!!” _Damn!_

Mary wriggled against his touch as his fingers slipped inside her again, his thumb stroked over her clit, increasing in speed as she moaned. She was lost in the warm tingling feeling that washed over her body as she got closer and closer. All she wanted was this, his touch. She started to groan loudly and he kissed her to muffle the sound as she came, shuddering against him. 

Henry took advantage of Mary’s moment of weakness and picked her up in his arms.  
“We’re going to bed.”  
While he carried her up stairs, she recovered enough to say, “What if someone sees?”  
“I’ll say you’ve been taken ill and that I’m a doctor!”  
“You think of everything!”  
“All I can think about right now is being inside you.”  
“That’s NOT going to happen! I don’t want to get pregnant.”  
“I’ll be careful I promise.”  
“I don’t trust you to be careful.”  
“Which room is yours?”  
“Here.”

Once inside Henry carefully placed Mary on the bed and started kissing her throat working his way over her bare shoulders as he unfastened her dress.  
“What about my Aunt? She mustn’t know.”  
“I’ll leave early.”  
“The servants...”  
“I’ll leave _very early_.”  
“You’ve done this before.”  
“The sex or creeping out of a Lady’s room at 5am?”  
“Both.”  
“Yes. A few times.”  
“More than a few times I’ll bet.”  
“Mmm. Maybe.” He lifted up the skirt of her dress and started to pull off her satin knickers.  
“Be careful of Auntie’s dress!” She giggled.  
“Let’s take it off then.”

Mary’s dress was removed in double quick time – Anna would have been impressed with Henry’s skill.  
“Oh you’ve _definitely_ done this before!”  
“Lots of practise.” He looked down to appraise the result of his work. “Very nice. I do love satin lingerie, although … what’s underneath might be even more beautiful to look at.”  
“I feel at a disadvantage, you haven’t even taken off your tie!”  
He rolled his eyes and huffed, “Well I undressed you, do you expect me to do everything?” 

After a struggle Mary managed to remove Henry’s jacket, tie and shirt. He pulled off his vest.  
“Gosh.” She was rather startled by his physique.  
“I have to keep fit to drive the cars. Now where was I?”  
Henry disappeared under the covers unfastening and removing her petticoat and bra to expose her breasts for kissing and sucking. He moved on to kiss her stomach, his tongue tickling in her belly button and tracing a line straight down to his goal. All of the promise of his tongue tickling against her finger tip earlier was realised in a wonderful, intense, blur as he sucked her clit through slightly parted teeth and his tongue brushed over and over.  
“Oh my god! Don’t stop.”  
Mary’s fingers ran through his hair and urged him on until…ecstasy.

Henry heaved himself back up beside Mary, smiling down at her blissful expression.  
“You taste so good.” He breathed as kissed her neck and then nibbled her earlobe with his lips. “So, Lady Mary, how are you enjoying the ‘process’ so far?”  
Mary smiled and sighed. “Enormously.”


End file.
